Wild camping in Romania: is it legal? (2026)

The national protected-areas ordinance (OUG 57/2007) types it without ambiguity: camping on a protected area's surface outside specially arranged places — or breaching a camping site's rules — is an offence carrying a 3,000–6,000 lei fine for an individual. Since much of Romania's mountains sit in some protected category, this is in practice the rule of the Carpathians.

• Salvamont's advice isn't legal but ursine: camp at organised areas, avoid isolated spots and keep not a crumb of food in the tent. Safety, not law — but in Romania both point the same way.

Fine: 3,000–6,000 lei for an individual (art. 53(1)(h) — that exact offence's statutory range).

The ordinance bans 'camparea' — and no national rule says whether the tentless bag falls inside that word. The hint that they differ comes from Retezat itself, whose regulation uses 'bivuac' separately with its own exception. Without a national definition we don't project: unconfirmed, and each park's regulation rules.

The new Forest Code (law 331/2024) grants free access on foot and by bike across the national forest fund, at your own risk and causing no damage — with temporary closures for fire, logging, hunting or strict protection. What article 58 doesn't say, for or against, is whether you may stay the night, tent or no tent. Genuine legal silence: unconfirmed, and where forest overlaps a protected area, the national rule above returns.

Under engine power, the forest fund is closed in principle: public access with self-propelled vehicles is banned, save transit on forest roads the holder permits where they serve tourist or leisure objectives. In protected areas each park further narrows its network (Grădiștea: public roads, tracks not closed by sign or barrier, and arranged ground only). Sleeping inside a lawfully positioned vehicle is classified by no one: unconfirmed.

In the park of the Dacian fortresses the regulation takes two sentences: tourist camping only at specially arranged, signposted places; beyond them, only in exceptional situations — research, exploration, rescue — with the administration's agreement. A tourist with a tent and enthusiasm is not an exceptional situation.

Retezat does what we ask of every park: it enumerates. Its regulation lists the permitted camping zones one by one — Poiana Pelegii, the Salvamont refuges at Bucura, Baleia, Buta and Stâna de Râu, Gura Zlata, Pietrele, Râușor, Cârnic and a dozen more signed points — and bans the rest, with the Gemenele Scientific Reserve fully off-limits. Site rules: no trenches or vegetation under the tent, open fire banned, stove only.

• The list lives in the regulation and on-the-ground signs govern the exact spot: management plan approved in 2024, inventory rechecked each January.

Romania's most alpine clause: 'during winter, in special cases, setting up a bivouac is permitted' in the protected area — except the Gemenele reserve. It's for the serious winter traverse, not an all-season recreational permission: special cases, says the text, and on the ground the judgement belongs to the ranger.